These days there may be lots of rockers making kid-friendly records, but there’s only one Ralph Covert, an irrepressibly enthusiastic performer who rocks just as hard for kids as he does for grown-ups. His traveling circus of catchiness known as Ralph’s World makes a stop at the Edmonds Center for the Arts Sept. 27.
Covert began putting music the entire family could embrace on the road and on record more than seven years ago. “When I was asked to make a kids record, I said I’d be interested—instead—in making a great record that kids like,” he said. Since then Ralph’s World has established itself as one of the leading children’s performing groups that appeal to both adults and children.
As Covert puts it, he aims to remove “vicarious enjoyment” to let his entire audience own the experience. “There are not that many experiences that parents and children can have together where one isn’t vicariously participating in something the other is enjoying,” he points out. “The parents often love the Ralph’s World music and are as into it as the kids are. And that creates a memorable experience for everyone.”
Covert is the ringmaster of a packed tent of creativity, even beyond Ralph’s World. He’s an award-winning playwright, has written books (including the circus-themed “Sawdust and Spangles”), and music for adult theatrical dramas and children’s musicals. He also still plays gigs with his grown-up rock outfit, The Bad Examples.
“The Rhyming Circus” is Ralph’s World’s latest recording on the Disney Sound label, now adding to a total of eight CDs, which also includes “Ralph’s World,” “At the Bottom of the Sea,” “Happy Lemons,” “Peggy’s Pie Parlor,” “The Amazing Adventures of Kid Astro,” the Grammy-nominated “Green Gorilla, Monster &Me” and the CD/DVD “Welcome To Ralph’s World,” as well as the award-winning “Say Hello” DVD, chosen at Parenting magazine’s 2003 Video of the Year.
Edmonds audiences can look forward to new tunes such as the Beatlesque bounce of “Edward The Tap Dancing Elephant,” the Mellotron-embellished ’60s swirl of “King of The Alphabet,” the Brian Setzerlike guitar swing of “Bad Bug Ball,.” and even a re-imagining of Johnny Cash in “Folsom Daycare Blues.”
Covert has also appeared on CBS’ Early Show, NPR’s All Things Considered, ABC’s World News Tonight, earned raves from Time, Newsweek and People, and headlined a coast-to-coast tour of House of Blues venues (unprecedented for a kids artist).
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
